A Dangerous Find
by missminxie78
Summary: This fic has elements, themes and characters that are based on the Season 4 episode "The Curse". Slight alternate take on Daniel's past in order to integrate my own original character.
1. Chapter 1

**AUTHORS NOTE:** I published this story 8 years ago, though it was never completed. As my craft has improved since then, this is a refreshed look at something I wrote so long ago. Hope you enjoy!

Dr Olivia Clarke studied the amulet carefully, her green eyes sparkling, as she gently ran her fingers over the gemstones. It was definitely Osiris, which was clear from the hieroglyphics on the front. What was unusual though, was the second set of glyphs that weren't quite the same dialect as the others. Maybe an older dialect of Ancient Egyptian? Olivia furrowed her brow. She had a doctorate in archaeology, specialising in Ancient Egyptian culture; the fact that this inscription was eluding her, frustrated her no end.

Grabbing a few books off the shelf, she rifled through them to see if she could find anything she'd perhaps forgotten or missed, though the search turned out to be fruitless. Not content in letting it go, Olivia decided to take the amulet down to Dr Jordan to have a second pair of eyes look over it. If anyone would know, it would be him.

When Olivia wandered into the lab, Dr Jordan was hunched over something, studying it closely. Noticing her, he looked up and smiled, a magnifier stuck in his left eye. Olivia giggled.

"Hello, Dr Clarke. How's the day treating you?" his jovial voice asked.

"Well, to be honest sir, I've been puzzling over this amulet for the last 2 hours, trying to work out the other dialect next to the hieroglyphs. It looks like Ancient Egyptian though it doesn't match exactly to anything I have ever seen. I was hoping you could take a look and point out to me, no doubt quite obviously, what I've missed," she said with a smirk.

Dr Jordan chuckled lightly. "We'll see, shall we?" he said, and held the amulet up to his magnifier.

Olivia watched Dr Jordan study the artifact, though he seemed to be as puzzled as she did. "You don't know either, do you."

"I'm afraid I don't."

"Maybe it pre-dates the Ancient Egyptians? I mean, I know that sounds a little out there. What else could it be?"

"What else could what be?" a voice called from the doorway.

Dr Jordan and Olivia looked up to find Steven Rayner making his way over to them. Steven was a promising student, though Olivia didn't have a lot of time for him. He was cocky and she felt his intentions for finding ancient artifacts were more out of greed & notoriety than scientific advancement.

"Hello, Steven," Dr Jordan said politely. "Dr Clarke and I were trying to work out the dialect on this amulet here. I certainly don't recognise it."

"Really? Mind if I take a look?"

"Be my guest." Dr Jordan handed the amulet to Steven. Olivia eyed him derisively. He was always trying to show her up, though it usually didn't work. If Dr Jordan didn't know, the chances of Steven knowing would be next to none.

"No, I don't know either."

"What a surprise," Olivia mumbled.

Steven glared at her.

Dr Jordan looked down at the amulet again. "I'll get Nick to run a carbon test on it. It'll give us more of an idea where to start looking. If this pre-dates Ancient Egypt…" Dr Jordan trailed off and looked up at his protégés. Olivia knew what he wasn't saying. If it _did_ pre-date the Ancient Egyptians, it would be the find of the century.

"Uh…how about I get this down to Nick and see what he turns up?" Steven offered.

"Thank you, Steven, I'd appreciate that," Dr Jordan said. "I want to finish going through a few things here.

Steven smiled, giving Olivia a smug look before he turned and headed out.

Olivia narrowed her eyes, wondering what Steven was up to. No matter, she was the senior archaeologist under Dr Jordan. Nick would send her the results.

A few nights later, Olivia was pacing her office. Could this really be it? A chance to prove that there was life before the Ancient Egyptians or that their civilisation was older than was originally thought? As she sank into her chair, Olivia realised something else. If this was true, she knew of a certain someone who would be eager to know as well. She smiled sadly at the thought.

Walking back to her desk for what seemed like the hundredth time that hour, she clicked 'Send/Receive' on her email. To her utter delight, there was finally an email from Nick. She skimmed over all the preliminary junk, scrolling through to what she wanted to read most.

"Oh my god…" she whispered, her eyes not able to leave the screen. Olivia grabbed her bag, tearing out of her office and down to Dr Jordan's office to see if he was still there. He wasn't. He was probably in the test lab with Nick. She felt as though her feet wouldn't carry her fast enough. Dr Nick Almeida smiled at her as she walked in, his eyes wide with excitement.

"I can't believe it, Liv! This is…just…I can't even find words to describe it," he said in whispered tones, his whole face red with excitement.

"Nick, why are we whispering?" Olivia whispered back, almost laughing.

Nick shrugged and looked at Olivia conspiratorially. "Come on, this is not the sort of news you want to scream out just yet, right?"

Olivia rolled her eyes and laughed. "You watch too much TV, Nick. You haven't seen Dr Jordan have you?"

"No, I haven't. He was supposed to come by so we could discuss all of today's results, especially this one, but that was half an hour ago."

"Weird. That's a little unlike him."

Nick nodded in agreement. "Guess he's just tied up with something."

Olivia bit her lip. "OK, I'm going to see if he's back in his office. I'll be back in a sec." Olivia turned to head out, though quickly changed her mind and picked up the amulet. She wrapped it carefully in its cloth and nodded to Nick. "I might take this to Dr Jordan."

Heading back down the hallway, Olivia poked her head into Dr Jordan's empty office. No sign of him. Just as she was about to leave, she noticed his cell phone sitting on his desk. Dr Jordan always had his phone with him. What was going on? Frustrated, Olivia headed out and back down toward Nick's lab. Rushing in, she was horrified to see Nick unconscious on the ground. She knelt down beside him and checked his pulse. He was still alive, just out cold. Papers were strewn everywhere, tools were on the floor or tipped over & drawers had been opened & dropped onto the floor. It was clear that someone had been looking for something. Didn't take a rocket scientist to work out what…

What the hell was going on? Dr Jordan wasn't in any of the labs, his office or anywhere close by that she'd seen. His cell phone was still sitting on his desk and Nick was unconscious. Olivia felt her stomach turn. This was _so_ not good.

Olivia carefully tucked the amulet into her bag. Until she had more information and who she could trust, she wanted to keep it safe. This was going to be big news pretty soon and someone wanted it pretty badly.

As she turned to head out, she noticed Steven in the doorway, gun in hand, aimed straight at her. Olivia sucked in a breath, jumping in fright.

"Steven, what the _hell_ are you doing?"

"Give it to me, Olivia and I won't hurt you."

"Give you what?"

"Don't play dumb, Clarke. You know very well what! I am not going to allow you to take credit for this. It's my turn, dammit! No more walking in the shadows."

Olivia knew _exactly_ whose shadow he was desperate to overtake.

"Tell me Steven, how much are they paying you, hmm? I mean, I sure as hell know you don't have the balls to pull something like this off on your own."

Steven's lip curled as he advanced toward her. It was clear he wasn't confident with the gun and the fact he didn't deny her accusation told her all she needed to know.

"Hand it over, Clarke and you'll live to see another day," he said, his hand shaking and body sweating.

Olivia rolled her eyes. "God, you watch more crime shows than Nick does!" she said, trying to rattle his confidence. "I don't have it, Steven. I gave it back to Dr Jordan."

"Then why are you here?"

"I just came to say goodbye to Nick on my way home, alright?" she said, keeping her voice calm and even, looking innocently at him.

Steven clenched his teeth, holding her gaze for a few moments. He began backing away before tearing off down the hall toward Dr Jordan's office.

As soon as he was out of sight, Olivia tore off in the other direction. She knew she didn't have much time before Steven realised she'd deceived him. She wanted to alert security, though if she did, there'd be questions asked, bags searched and she'd have to give up the amulet. No, Olivia was going to have to take things into her own hands.

The problem was, where to go? She knew she couldn't go home. That would be one of the first places he'd look. There was one chance. One hope. It would be a long shot, but it was better than the options she had right now.

Not wanting to arouse suspicion, Olivia calmly walked out the front door of the building, two men passing her on the way in. She didn't recognise them and it certainly seemed strange that they'd turn up at this hour, so she deduced they were the ones working with Steven. Olivia kept her cool and held tightly to her satchel as she headed out. At the sign of the first cab, she tore across the road.

"TAXI!" she screamed and jumped in, noticing just as she did, Steven and the two men coming out of the building. "GO, please!" They tried chasing after her but the taxi was too fast. Olivia turned around and faced the front, breathing a sigh of relief.

"Where to, miss?"

"Airport, please. Quick as you can." Grabbing her cell, she flipped it open and began scrolling through to find the name she wanted. Olivia thought they may try to trace her cell, given that Steven was prepared to point a gun at her, so she wasn't going to take any chances. She'd have to ditch it. Quickly writing down the number she needed plus a few others just in case, Olivia threw her phone out the window.

Paying the cab driver once she'd reached the airport, Olivia held tightly to her bag and walked in. If Steven and the two men didn't go to Olivia's home first, the airport was the next place they'd look, so she had to move fast. She headed toward the first cell phone dealer she saw, quickly chose and paid for a phone and a pre-paid card.

Moving to a nearby wall, out of sight as much as possible, Olivia pulled out the piece of paper with the number she needed. Her heart beat faster, praying he'd pick up. She had no idea if he even had the same cell number anymore, though she prayed silently he would. He was the only one she trusted with this, other than Dr Jordan, but he was nowhere to be found, and who knows if he was even involved? Olivia doubted it, though she hadn't exactly expected Steven to pull a gun on her either.

Carefully, she punched the number into the keypad and waited.


	2. Chapter 2

As the phone continued to ring, Olivia's palms began to sweat. He didn't pick up, though his voicemail did, telling her it was still his number.

"Uh…hi, Daniel. It's Olivia. Clarke. Look, I know we haven't spoken in a long time but I _really_ need to talk to you. It's very important," she began. "I don't trust anyone else. Please. If you get this message, can you call me back as soon as you can? I'm at O'Hare now. Wherever you are, I'll fly to meet you. Please call me back…" She left him her cell number and ended the call.

Grabbing a cup of coffee, Olivia tried to make herself as comfortable as she could in an uncomfortable airport chair, hoping desperately her old friend would return her call.

Daniel Jackson walked back into his cluttered office, still wondering how he was going to get through all the work he had to do. It was getting harder and harder to keep on top of everything as more worlds were explored and more artifacts and inscriptions were found. He'd been meaning to speak to General Hammond about getting some much-needed help, but, like everything, it was buried in the list of the many other things he had to do.

Sitting down at his desk, Daniel glanced over at his cell and noticed he had a missed call, though it wasn't a number he recognised. He called his voicemail, the message sending his heart into his throat. _There_ was a name he hadn't heard in a long time. She sounded extremely panicked, though Daniel knew it had to be something pretty major if she wasn't able to trust anyone else. He keyed her number into his cell and dialled.

Olivia tapped her foot anxiously, wanting to get the hell out of there as soon as possible. Once she was on a plane, she knew she'd feel better. The phone in her hand rang then.

"Hello?"

"Olivia? H-hi…it's Daniel. Are you –?"

"Daniel!" she interrupted in loud whisper. "Thank god. Where are you? Please, wherever you are, I need to leave right now. I don't want to say anything over the phone. I don't know who might be listening but I don't have much time!"

"Whoa, Olivia, slow down. What's wrong? Are you hurt?"

"No, no I'm fine. At least for now."

"For now? What do you mean? What's going on?"

"Look, I can't talk about it here. I'm being followed and they're probably not far behind me," she said, glancing furtively around. "All I can say is…we found something. You were right, Daniel. Your theories were right."

Daniel raised his eyebrows. "Uh, is anyone else with you? Dr Jordan? Steven?"

"No. It's a long story, Daniel. I'll tell you everything when I get there, wherever _there_ is."

"Ah, OK, well I'm in Colorado Springs, but..."

"Fine, I'll be on the next plane to Denver."

"Olivia, wait…"

"Daniel, I have to go. I'm sorry, I can't explain right now. I'll call you when I get to Denver." Looking up, Olivia thought she spotted Steven coming through the airport. "Shit! They're here," she hissed and ended the call.

Daniel tossed the phone onto his desk. wondering what she could've found. Knowing that Olivia had a doctorate in Ancient Egyptian culture, it was probably an inscription or artifact, that was most likely Goa'uld. He'd have to give General Hammond the heads up as to what was possibly on its way.

"Daniel Jackson, General Hammond would like to see SG-1 in the briefing room," a deep voice said, interrupting his thoughts.

Daniel turned to see Teal'c hovering in his doorway. "Ah OK, I'm coming. I need to speak to him anyway," and with that, grabbed a notebook and pen and followed Teal'c up to the briefing room where General Hammond, Colonel O'Neill and Major Carter were already waiting.

General Hammond opened his mouth to speak, however Daniel knew this couldn't wait until after the briefing.

"Uh, General? With your permission, I have somewhat urgent news I'd like to discuss before we begin."

"OK, Dr Jackson. What is it?"

"I had a rather disturbing phone call a few minutes ago from a former colleague back in Chicago. She seems to have stumbled onto something that I think may be of Goa'uld origin. I can't be certain, but she said they'd found something, that my theories had been right and that someone was after her for it?"

"Who is she?"

"Dr Olivia Clarke. She was also a student of my archaeology professor, David Jordan, though Dr Jordan isn't with her and neither is Steven Rayner, one of the other archaeologists. It all sounded very strange…"

"So where is she now?" Jack interrupted.

"On her way to Colorado. She hasn't told me what it is they've found but she sounded terrified. She said she was being followed and she couldn't trust anyone else." Daniel turned to look at General Hammond. "Sir, Olivia isn't the type to not trust people. Someone she knows has betrayed her. I'd like to talk to her and see what it is she's found and who's after her. If it _is_ Goa'uld, I'd rather it be here at the SGC than anywhere else.

"Agreed. When is she due in Colorado Springs?"

"She's going to call when she arrives in Denver and give me more of an idea. Sir, I know Olivia. This is big, but we can trust her."

Hammond nodded "OK, Dr Jackson, you have a go but be sure to proceed with extreme caution. I want her brought to the SGC but kept under guard in the guest quarters. Tell her only what she needs to know. Is that clear?"

"Yes, sir."

"SG-1, I'm postponing your next mission until we get to the bottom of this. If there is a Goa'uld artifact out there, we don't want it falling into the wrong hands."

The team nodded in agreement.

"Dismissed." The members of SG-1 dispersed and headed out of the briefing room.

"Want me to drive?" Jack offered as they made their way out.

"Uh, that's OK, Jack. I'll be fine."

"OK, you can drive. I'll ride shotgun."

"Jack, if it's alright with you, I'd prefer to go alone."

"Well it's not alright with me, Daniel. If she was being followed and there's a potential situation here, you'll need back up."

Daniel sighed. There was no point arguing. Jack had made up his mind. "Fine. You can drive."

O'Neill grinned, satisfied, patting Daniel on the back on the way out. "Swell, let me know when you're ready."

Carter gave Daniel a sympathetic look. "Anything I can do, Daniel?"

"Not at the moment, but thanks," he said, giving her a smile.

"I will be of assistance as well if you require, Daniel Jackson," Teal'c offered.

"Appreciate that, T." Daniel headed back down to his office and flopped into his chair. All he could do now was wait.

Olivia bought herself a cap on the way to the bookings desk and tucked her hair underneath, keeping her head down. They wouldn't be looking for someone with a cap or short hair so it might buy her a bit of time.

"I need to be on the next flight to Denver, please," she told the clerk.

The clerk, barely looking up, tapped away at her computer "Well, I have one seat left, but it's in first class."

"Fine, that'll do," Olivia said, handing over her ID and a wad of cash.

"OK, you're all set. You better hurry. They're boarding now."

Olivia thanked the clerk and walked quickly toward security, thankfully making it through without incident. Almost thrusting her boarding pass at the gate clerk, Olivia swiftly walked through, being the last passenger to board.

It was almost 10pm by the time she arrived in Denver. She'd had a bite to eat and drink on the flight and had splashed her face with cold water, which made her feel marginally better. Olivia booked herself onto the next flight to Colorado Springs before calling Daniel again.

"Hello?"

"Daniel, it's Olivia."

Daniel released a breath he didn't even realise he'd been holding. "Olivia. Good, you're OK."

"Yes, I'm alright. I'm in Denver and I've already booked a flight to Colorado Springs. I'm leaving in about 15 minutes, so I should be there at about 11pm. I hope it's not too late."

"Too late? Come on, Olivia. You know as well as I do we archaeologists don't keep regular sleeping patterns."

"Good point. OK, I'll see you at the airport then?"

"I'll be there. Have a safe flight."

"I will. See you soon."


	3. Chapter 3

Daniel climbed into Jack's 4WD and fastened his seatbelt. He was having silent bets with himself how long it would be before he was interrogated about Olivia. They drove in silence for a time, though Daniel it'd be any second now…

"So, Daniel. What's the deal with Dr Clarke?"

And there it was. "What do you mean?"

"Oh, come on, Daniel! You get a call from a colleague you haven't heard from since you left Chicago and she can't trust anyone else? That seems a little far-fetched, don't ya think?"

Daniel considered this. "Well, normally yes. But look what happened to me when I was so forthcoming in my theories. I was laughed at. Ridiculed. Something like this, I'm not surprised Olivia felt she could only trust me with it. Besides, if someone wants whatever she has as badly as she's described, she would've been in danger staying in Chicago. I'm a little stumped though as to why, at the very least, Dr Jordan isn't with her."

"Sounds all a bit cloak and dagger to me," O'Neill scoffed.

"I just want to get to the bottom of it. I'm curious to see what Olivia's found that could put her in potential danger."

"So that's all?"

Daniel glared at him. "Well, it'd be nice to see someone I haven't seen in a number of years who I worked quite closely with."

"How close?"

"Oh, jeez…" Daniel growled.

O'Neill shrugged. "What? It's a simple question."

"Nothing happened between us if that's what you're implying."

Silence.

"Did you want it to?"

"Jack…"

Silence.

"She hot?"

"Dammit, Jack! Will you leave it alone?"

"Don't need to get so testy, Daniel."

Daniel could feel his blood pressure rising. Truth be told, there _was_ more than he was willing to admit, even to himself, but he pushed it down. Way down.

"I just want to know if your involvement with this Dr Clarke is going to be a problem…you know…cloud your judgement."

"It won't. We're friends. That's all."

"Gettin' awful defensive about someone who's 'just a friend'."

Daniel ignored him. There wasn't a lot he could say that would abate O'Neill when he got hold of a bone. Silence again passed between them.

Jack glanced sideways at Daniel, watching him fidget. "So, is she?"

"Is she what?"

"Hot."

Daniel rolled his eyes and clenched his teeth. Every part of him wanted to reach out and throttle the SG-1 leader, but he knew, the more he got defensive about it, the more suspicious Jack would become. He was being baited and he knew it.

As soon as they'd parked at Colorado Springs Airport, Daniel jumped out, eager to get out of the confined space. He walked a few paces ahead of O'Neill, wanting to avoid any more questions.

Waiting at the gate, Daniel shoved his hands into his pockets. There was an awkward silence between the archaeologist and the Colonel, neither quite knowing what to say. Fortunately, people started filing through the gate then. Daniel felt the nerves setting in as he watched for Olivia to come through.

"There she is," Daniel said, spotting her in the crowd. "Long black hair, green shirt." Despite the fact he recognised her, she had certainly changed a lot in 5 years. The last time he'd seen her, she would've been 28 and she'd worn long skirts and flowing-style tops, lots of beads and shorter black hair. The woman walking toward him now was somewhat more sophisticated, wearing fitted, black pants that hugged her slender frame, a long, black leather jacket over a fitted mint green shirt with black boots replacing the casual sandals. Her once short black hair was now tied in a sleek ponytail that extended part way down her back. As she walked toward them, Daniel felt his breath catch in the back of his throat. One thing _hadn't_ changed and those were her piercing green eyes. He could never forget them…

O'Neill nudged him out of his reverie. "Hot damn," he whispered out the side of his mouth, stifling a small grin.

Olivia smiled as she approached, recognising only one of the two faces that were there to greet her. She had to admit, he looked a little different. The floppy hair had gone and the awkward hunch seemed to have been replaced by a more confident stance. Even his glasses were less geeky.

"Hello, Daniel," she said softly, hugging him tightly. "It's good to see you."

"And you," he said warmly, as they parted, clearing his throat a little when his voice refused to come out as it should.

"I'm just glad I made it here in one piece."

Olivia noticed O'Neill then and smiled. "Hello."

"Uh, Olivia, this is Col…uh, Jack. Jack, meet Dr Olivia Clarke," Daniel said, not wanting to freak Olivia out by bringing the whole military side of things in just yet. "Jack's a friend."

O'Neill offered his hand. "Hello. I've heard a lot about you."

"Nice to meet you," she said, shaking his hand.

"Well, now that the gang's all here, shall we head on back to the ranch?" O'Neill joked.

Olivia looked over at Daniel, confused, wondering why this 'Jack' was even here.

Daniel shook his head. "Never mind. Jack's just being…Jack."

They walked in silence back to the carpark, Olivia not wanting to say anything until they were safely in the car.

"Don't worry about me, kids. I live to serve," O'Neill muttered, when Daniel climbed into the back of the 4WD with Olivia.

Olivia turned to face Daniel, her satchel clutched tightly in her lap. "So, how are you, Daniel? It's been a while…"

Daniel nodded, giving her an awkward smile. "I'm…I'm good. Little tired, but you know," he said, trying to keep things light-hearted. "You uh, you look well," he said, feeling his cheeks flush.

Olivia smiled. "Thank you, although I feel anything but," she said with a laugh.

"So, why don't you tell me what happened?"

Olivia took a deep breath. "Well, we were examining artifacts from the 1931 Giza expedition. Amazing pieces. I was in archaeological heaven."

Daniel laughed. "Wasn't that the one where everyone died within a year of the dig?"

"Yes, that's the one. The ship that transported all the artifacts from that expedition sank as well. We were very lucky to have an opportunity to study and catalogue a lot of the items that had been recovered. Problem was, the Egyptian government wanted them back as soon as possible, so we were on a tight schedule. I found a piece that, at first glance, isn't all that unusual but a closer look stumped everyone at the museum, even Dr Jordan." Olivia produced the gold amulet from her satchel. "I could tell straight away it was Osiris and the glyphs on the amulet confirmed this, but when I didn't recognise the second set of glyphs, I asked Dr Jordan for help. They're similar to the first, but the dialect is different. When neither of us could work out what it was, we sent it down to the lab for carbon analysis," Olivia said, handing Daniel the amulet. "Daniel…the results told us it was over 10,000 years old."

She watched Daniel study both sets of glyphs on the amulet.

"Daniel?"

"Hmm?"

"Did you hear what I said? This means your theories about the Egyptians being a lot older than was first discovered is true."

He nodded a little absently. "I know."

Olivia's eyes widened a little. "You know?"

Daniel nodded.

"You recognise the dialect, don't you…"

Daniel nodded again. "Yeah."

"Wh…how? I don't understand."

Daniel sighed. "It's a long story, Liv. I wish I could tell you everything, but I can't."

Olivia raised both eyebrows at Daniel. "You can't? What do you mean you can't?"

"I mean, I can't. It's classified information."

Olivia snorted. "Classified? Gosh, Daniel, you sound like you're in the military or something," she said, laughing.

Daniel looked down, not quite sure where to look at that moment.

Olivia looked over at Daniel, realising he wasn't laughing with her. "You're not serious?"

Daniel looked up at her, not really wanting to see her expression. "Actually, I am."

"Why? I mean, what could you possibly be doing in the military that would further your archaeological career?"

"I can't tell you. As I said, it's –"

"Classified, yes you said that. So, let me get this straight. I've come all this way, somehow managing _not_ to get myself captured, to share an artifact I thought was going to be the highlight of my career and the vindication of yours, only to find out that you've seen the dialect already because you've been working on some top secret military project! Is this why you disappeared 5 years ago without so much as a goodbye?"

"Yeah. Liv, I'm really sorry. I never meant to just leave like I did. The situation was complicated."

She stared at him for a moment before she turned back to face the front and thumped the door with her fist, fighting back tears of disappointment. The relief of being safe and the shock of Daniel's news was almost too much.

"So where are we going then?" Olivia asked, looking over at Daniel.

"High security government facility," O'Neill interrupted.

Olivia jumped at the sound of the other man's voice, almost forgetting he'd been there. "I suppose you're in on this too? Is your name even Jack?"

"Oh yeah, it is. Just stick a Colonel in front of it and an O'Neill at the end. Two Ls."

Olivia grit her teeth. She knew enough about the military to know they covered stuff like this up, otherwise, there would've been no reason for she and Daniel to have fallen out of contact. "So, let me guess, you'll just, take my amulet, ask me a few questions, give me some vague cover story and send me on my merry way?"

Daniel shook his head. "It won't be like that, Liv."

"How will it be?" she snapped. "Isn't that what you military people do? If you can't tell me anything, what's the point?"

"I'm still a civilian, I'm not military. I just work with them. Look, there may be more I can tell you –"

"Daniel…" O'Neill warned.

"Just, not yet." Daniel finished.

Olivia's shoulders slumped in defeat as she sat back against her seat, fiddling with the ankh around her neck. The whole thing was turning from bad to worse.


	4. Chapter 4

Soon enough, they were making their way into the Cheyenne Mountain Complex, Olivia flanked by both Daniel and Colonel O'Neill, as they escorted her through and down to the guest quarters, as ordered. She kept perfectly quiet, afraid of what would come out of her mouth if she spoke.

"So, uh, just make yourself at home. You should find it quite comfortable in here," Daniel said.

"Oh yeah, just like home," she said, walking past Daniel.

"I'll meet you in the General's office in five, Daniel," O'Neill said, before heading out.

"Liv, I'm going to do my best to help you get to the bottom of all this, I promise. Now, from what you've said to me, it sounds like you knew the person who was after you."

Olivia's eyes darkened. "Actually, I do. It was Steven."

"Steven? As in Steven Rayner?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"I always suspected Steven was never in it for the science. I know he felt like he always walked in your shadow. He even admitted it to me when he pointed a gun at my head."

"He pointed a _gun_ at you?"

"He said he wasn't content walking in anyone's shadow anymore. I knew he was referring to you. Your name was referenced so often by Dr Jordan, I guess he couldn't take it anymore. I suspect he isn't working alone either. When I left the building, I passed two men and saw them run out after me, along with Steven, before I got into a taxi."

"The main thing is, you're safe. Did you get a look at the men?"

"No. I was too busy trying to get the hell out of there."

"Understandable. Funny, I never had a lot of time for Steven, but I never would've thought him to do a thing like this."

Olivia shrugged. "Me either. I mean, Steven and I rarely saw eye to eye. Amazing what blind greed will do to a person."

Daniel nodded in agreement. "So, what about Dr Jordan? Is he involved too?"

"I don't think so, though I'm not entirely sure. I couldn't find him _anywhere_ after the news came through about the amulet. What disturbed me was that his cell phone was sitting on his desk when I looked in his office. He never goes anywhere without it. I just hope he's alright."

"That _is_ strange," Daniel agreed.

"I don't know, Daniel. The whole thing just seems surreal to me. I'm terrified of this amulet falling into the wrong hands."

"Well, it, along with you, are safe here. It's not going anywhere."

"Thank you. That's why I called you in the first place. I trust you, Daniel. I knew that, wherever you were, you'd be able to help somehow."

"I'll do whatever I can, Liv. Uh, I better go and tell the General what's going on. I'll let him know about Steven and see if we can find out anything more."

"Uh, sure. Thanks."

"Is there anything I can get for you? You hungry? I can arrange for some food to be sent up?"

Olivia shook her head. "I'm OK."

"You sure?"

"I'm fine, really. Don't worry about me," she said lightly, though she wasn't looking forward to more hours of endlessly doing nothing.

"Just give me some time, OK? I promise I'll try to give you something more," he said, putting a hand on her shoulder.

"OK."

Daniel nodded, his gaze lingering a moment. "Just uh, buzz my cell if you need anything," and with that, headed out.

Once they'd gone, Olivia dropped her satchel on the coffee table and flopped onto the couch. She was glad she had the artifact somewhere safe, even if it meant she wasn't going to learn everything she wanted to know about it. It was away from Steven and that was the main thing.

Olivia had a feeling that seeing Daniel again had added to her broodiness too. All this time, she'd thought he'd gone into hiding or, even worse, a small part thought maybe something darker had become of her former friend. He'd had a history of depression, and considering what had happened just before he disappeared, it wasn't so far-fetched. The Daniel she'd seen earlier seemed a lot more confident within himself, which, despite the situation, made her smile. He always saw the good in everyone and had always been a gentle and soft personality. Most likely still was. Olivia loved that about him as it also had had a positive influence on her. Knowing Daniel would do his best to help her, made her feel a little calmer. She pulled out the amulet again and settled herself back on the couch. She had a feeling this was going to be a reasonably long process.

"That went…well," O'Neill said as Daniel joined him in the briefing room.

"Yeah, well I can't blame her. I know I'd probably feel the same if it were me."

"She's a lot like you actually; feisty when cornered. It's hot." Realising what he said, Jack tried to back peddle. "Not that I think you're hot…I meant her…that she was…"

Daniel refused to bite. "She's _passionate_ about what she does, Jack. Even though this is daily occurrence stuff to us, this is major for her. She just wants the right thing to be done."

O'Neill and Daniel took a seat in Hammond's office as he gestured them in. Daniel didn't know if he was going to convince the General to let him share information with Olivia, though he was going to do everything in his power to try.

"So, Dr Jackson, what have you learned from Dr Clarke?" Hammond asked.

"Well, short version is that she found an Osiris amulet with Ancient Egyptian & Goa'uld glyphs on it. She knew from the face on the amulet and the Egyptian glyphs that it was Osiris but no idea what the other ones meant, obviously. It was carbon dated at over 10,000 years, hence why she called me."

"I see."

"Sir…she wasn't exactly _happy_ that I couldn't give her any information. She's gone through a lot in the last 12 hours. Finding an artifact that's over 10,000 years old, being hunted for said piece, watching me recognise the glyphs when she thought it would be ground breaking for both of us _and_ that I now work with the military, was a lot for her to take in. Someone we both worked with at the museum was after her for the amulet. Steven Rayner. I don't know why, though we assume it's financial. Sir, without realising it, she's brought an artifact, that, for all we know could be dangerous, away from the outside world, and that's a good thing. I guess what I'm saying is," Daniel said, steepling his fingers. "I'd like to give her _something_ , that will at least be compensation for what she's been through.

"I can't authorise that, Dr Jackson, I'm sorry."

"General, please. I know this is not an ideal situation, but she's an archaeologist and all she wants is what every archaeologist only _hopes_ they'll find in their lifetime. That…Holy Grail, if you will. Now to her, she's found that, and in some way, I feel responsible. The fact that the amulet is over 10,000 years old means that, to her, my theories I was ridiculed for, are true, or potentially true. If she'd never called me or had taken it to her superiors, we'd be none the wiser right now. She trusts me, sir. We can't just take this from her and not give her anything in return."

Hammond nodded. "I'll take that under advisement, Dr Jackson."

"Thank you, sir."

"Colonel? Do you see any potential issues with Dr Jackson's proposal?"

"Hard to say, sir. Don't know much about her at this point. What _does_ concern me is why this Steven was after her. Doubtful he knows what we know. Most likely financial, as Daniel said, but it's always best to be certain."

Hammond nodded again. "Agreed. I'll see what I can find out. Let me know if you learn anything more from Dr Clarke. Dismissed."

Daniel and Jack both nodded, before heading out again.

Olivia looked up from the amulet, hearing a knock at the door.

"Come in."

"Hey," Daniel said, poking his head around the door. "How are you holding up?"

Olivia slumped back into the couch, partially in exhaustion though mostly out of frustration as Daniel made himself comfortable next to her. "Well, apart from the fact I have been staring pointlessly at these unusual glyphs, I have the distinct feeling this amulet is more than just a nice piece to look at."

"What makes you think that?"

"The fact there is no hole in the top tells me it wasn't worn on a necklace. My guess is that it's a key to something. Maybe a sarcophagus or a tomb?"

"Good point," he agreed. He gave her a warm smile that reached his eyes.

Olivia shifted a little then. "Look, Daniel, I'm sorry about earlier…" Olivia began. "I didn't mean to go off at you the way I did. I guess I was still freaking out after what had happened. Between that, tiredness and seeing you again for the first time in five years, my emotions got the better of me."

"It's OK. It was a lot to take in at once. I have to admit, I didn't know what to expect. Knowing how close we were and that I never contacted you after I left, which I always felt bad about, I'm surprised you didn't beat me to a pulp," he joked, trying to lighten the mood.

"There's still time," she said, nudging him with her shoulder. "I guess I just, wasn't expecting…actually I don't know what I was expecting. Whatever it was, it wasn't _this,_ " she said, gesturing around her.

"Yeah, not exactly somewhere you'd expect to find your average archaeologist, right?"

Olivia raised an eyebrow at him. "Daniel, you may be many things, but average is not one of them."

Daniel's cheeks flushed. "Well, thankyou, Liv. That's nice of you to say," he replied, a little embarrassed.

"It's the truth."

"Oh, I uh, I've asked my superior for permission to let me tell you more about your amulet," he said quickly, wanting to change the subject. "He's looking into it, so there's a chance. At least it wasn't a flat 'No'."

"Well, that's something, I guess," Olivia agreed.

An hour or so later, Daniel was translating some texts when his phone rang, snapping him out of his zone.

"Dr Jackson, I organised a few background checks to be run on Dr Clarke and everything has come out clean."

Daniel smiled. He didn't really think there would've been an issue.

"Therefore, I'm authorising you to be able to share information with her, pending her signing an NDA."

"That's good news, sir. Thankyou."

"Dr Jackson, please be sure you are very clear with Dr Clarke about what it is she's signing. Remember, if she is found to be in breach of the NDA…"

"I know, sir and I understand."

As he hung up the phone, Daniel felt a ripple of delight, happy he was now able to share about the Goa'uld inscription and what had happened to him over the last 5 years.


	5. Chapter 5

A short while later, Olivia was in Daniel's office, looking at some of the artifacts he'd found off-world. Her mind was buzzing with all the information. "So, let me get this straight. Various teams travel all around the galaxy. The _galaxy_. You did say galaxy right?"

Daniel nodded.

"And they form alliances and acquire alien technologies to aid earth in the defence of this Go…Goo…"

"Goa'uld," Daniel corrected.

"Right. Them. But how? Have NASA developed some kind of whiz bang space shuttle that just zaps you across the galaxy? It all sounds a bit like an episode of Star Trek to me, Daniel."

Carter wandered in then. "Hey, Daniel," she said giving him a warm smile, before looking over at Olivia. "Uh, hi."

"Sam, this is Dr Olivia Clarke, an old colleague from Chicago. Don't worry, she's been cleared through General Hammond."

"Oh, OK," Carter said, relaxing a little.

"Olivia, this is Major Samantha Carter, our resident technical genius."

Carter blushed a little and rolled her eyes. "Daniel… Nice to meet you, Dr Clarke."

"It's a pleasure, Major Carter. Please, call me Olivia."

"If you'll call me, Sam."

"Deal," she said, starting to feel a little less out of place.

"I was just about to explain to Olivia how it is we manage to travel through the galaxy. She's a sceptic."

"I am not!" Olivia protested. "Not really. I just find it all a little hard to swallow."

Carter smiled. "I got a better idea. Why don't we show her?"

Daniel nodded. "Good idea. This will blow your mind," he said.

As they took the lift down, Olivia watched the numbers on the display panel. "How many levels _are_ there?"

"28, which is where we're going."

"28! We're 28 stories under the surface? Whoa…"

General Hammond was already in the control room when they arrived. "Hello, Dr Jackson, Major Carter."

"Sir," the two replied respectively.

"General, this is Dr Olivia Clarke. Olivia, this is General Hammond."

Olivia nodded politely. "It's nice to meet you, General. And may I also say thankyou for allowing me to learn more about what it is I've discovered."

Hammond returned her nod. "Well, Dr Clarke, let's hope we can get to the bottom of why one of your colleagues wants this amulet so badly and who he's working with."

"Thank you, sir," Olivia said gratefully and with that, Hammond moved to the other side of the room to talk to one of the technicians.

At that moment, the klaxons went off and the voice of Sgt Harriman was heard over the PA. "Beginning dialling sequence."

Olivia jumped. "What's going on?"

Daniel smiled. "It's alright," he reassured her as they continued further into the control room. "Lucky for you, you're going to see the gate in operation."

"The gate?"

"The Stargate."

She turned her head, her eyes settling onto the enormous ring in the middle of the room below. An inner ring, with a bunch of symbols on it, spun around. She hadn't noticed it when she'd walked into the room as people had been in the way.

"Chevron 1, encoded," Harriman announced.

Olivia's mouth dropped open as the wheel began to spin in the opposite direction. "What the hell?" she muttered, half to herself.

Carter and Daniel watched on in amusement.

"Chevron 2, encoded."

Olivia turned around to face Daniel and Carter. "What does it do?"

"Well," Carter offered. "The 39 symbols on the Stargate represent constellations. Each planet has an address of six symbols and the seventh symbol represents the planet you're dialling from."

"Chevron 3, encoded."

"You're _dialling_ a planet?"

Carter nodded. "Basically, yes."

"Chevron 4, encoded."

"So, once you've dialled all 7 symbols, then what?"

"Watch," Daniel said, pointing at the gate."

Olivia waited patiently while the last 3 chevrons engaged and as the last one did, an enormous burst of water was propelled outward, the unexpected act causing her to back straight into Daniel.

"Whoa, you OK?" he asked, steadying her.

"Sorry," she apologised as she caught his eye, feeling a little stupid. "Wasn't expecting that."

As the burst retracted inward, a rippling pool of light and water was left glistening inside the ring. Olivia wasn't quite sure what to make of it. "It's…incredible! How does the water stay like that?"

Carter pointed toward the computer. "It's not really water. It's an illusion. See, the Stargate is made from a quartz-like mineral called Naquada, a metal that is not found here on earth but is capable of handling the large amounts of energy needed to sustain a wormhole and form what you're seeing now, the event horizon. An event horizon is basically the beginning of a wormhole if you like."

"You've totally lost me now. A wormhole?"

"It's basically a virtual conduit between one Stargate and another."

"Told you she was a genius," Daniel stage-whispered to Olivia.

"Sending through the M.A.L.P," Harriman confirmed.

Carter gestured her over to the computer that the man making the announcements was at.

"We send a M.A.L.P, or Mobile Analytic Laboratory Probe, through to each world before we send any teams. It allows us to check vital signs such as whether it has breathable air, if the temperature is too hot/cold etc or if there's any sign of hostile action," Carter explained. "Watch what happens when the M.A.L.P goes through."

Olivia turned her attention to the ramp as the probe went through the watery-looking puddle and disappeared, then turned back to the computer. The image of the M.A.L.P that was on the computer slowly dissolved, reappearing again a few moments later. General Hammond finished his conversation with the technician and walked over to the dialling computer.

"Receiving M.A.L.P telemetry," Harriman advised. After a few moments: "Looks good, sir."

"SG-12, you have a go," Hammond's voice said over the PA.

Olivia watched as four men, dressed in battle gear and carrying weapons made their way up the ramp and through the event horizon. Within moments, the shimmering puddle vanished and Olivia could see the wall through the ring again. She opened her mouth a couple of times and closed it again. "That's the most amazing thing I have ever seen!"

"Daniel here made it possible," Carter said proudly. "He was the one who worked out that the symbols on the gate were constellations and that to make a successful connection, you needed six symbols for each planet with the seventh symbol being the point of origin."

Olivia smiled in awe over at Daniel. "You worked all that out?"

Daniel shrugged. "I guess."

Carter nudged him playfully. "Aw come on, Daniel. Without you, there'd _be_ no Stargate program!"

"Is this what you disappeared for five years ago?"

"Yeah. I'm sure you heard about the last public seminar I gave…"

"I did. I tried to call you, but you didn't return any of my calls."

Daniel hung his head a little. "I know, I'm sorry. I was at my absolute lowest and I felt like it couldn't get any worse. I stood in the rain, contemplating my miserable fate, with no money for a cab, no apartment to go home to and no girlfriend to turn to…"

Olivia visibly stiffened. The girlfriend Daniel spoke of had been Sarah Gardner, a point that was still a little sore with her.

"Next thing I knew, I was being shuffled into a car and inside was this woman, who we now know to be Catherine Langford, the woman behind the first research into the Stargate. She knew all this stuff about me. Before I knew it, she was offering me a job to translate ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics and told me that it could potentially prove my theories right. She handed me some travel plans and I was ushered out of the car. I was in shock to tell you the truth. After what I'd just been through, I was a little dubious as to why _this_ woman believed me. At first, I thought she was mocking me. I remember getting out of the car, standing in the rain and thinking 'Why not? What else do I have left? Everyone thinks I'm a lunatic'. Then just like that, I disappeared from the outside world."

Daniel had barely finished his speech when the klaxons went off again.

"Unscheduled off-world activation!" Harriman announced.

"Close the iris!" Hammond said.

She watched as a large metal circle closed inside the inner ring. It appeared to be some form of protection. O'Neill appeared then, followed by a burly man with an unusual branding on his forehead, and joined Hammond at the computer.

"Receiving Tok'ra IDC, sir," Harriman advised.

"Open the iris," Hammond ordered.

The iris was opened, and within moments, a man stepped through, the event horizon vanishing behind him.

Sam smiled and headed down into the gate room, the rest of SG-1 on her heels. Daniel gestured to Olivia to follow, assuring her it was OK. She was wondering what the hell a Tok'ra was. So many questions!

"Stand down," Hammond ordered the SFs, to which they obeyed and lowered their weapons.

"Hey, Sam," the man said warmly, embracing her.

"Hey, Dad. Good to see you."

"Dad?" Olivia asked Daniel.

"Long story, but yes."

Daniel moved between Olivia and Teal'c. "Uh, Liv, this is Teal'c. He's the fourth member of SG-1. Teal'c, this is a former colleague of mine, Dr Olivia Clarke."

"Nice to meet you Teal'c," Olivia said with a smile. Interesting name, she thought. Maybe he was from another world?

Teal'c bowed his head gently in return.

Hey, folks," Jacob said, acknowledging the rest of SG-1."New recruit?" he asked Jack.

Jack opened his mouth to answer, however, Daniel beat him to it. "Not exactly, Jacob. This is Dr Olivia Clarke. She's a former colleague from Chicago. Liv, this is Sam's father, Jacob."

"Hello."

"Hi there," Jacob said simply. He turned his attention back to the group. "I wish I could say I was here on a more pleasant note, folks."

"What's wrong?" Sam asked concerned.

Jacob looked grimly at the group. "The Tau'ri are in danger," he said simply.

O'Neill rolled his eyes. "Oh, is _that_ all! What's new, Jacob? Wouldn't be a normal working week if some snake head wasn't making a threat against the SGC or Earth itself."

"Well, you're right about it being a Goa'uld. Ever heard of Osiris?"

Olivia's stomach turned. Osiris. Why did she get the nauseating feeling that this had something to do with the amulet?

"Of course," Daniel said.

"As have I," Olivia added, looking worriedly at Daniel. It all seemed a little too coincidental that the amulet was Osiris and now this man was talking about him.

"Osiris was the god of the Afterlife," Daniel explained. "In power, he was second only to his father, Ra, and was the leader of the gods on earth. He was the husband of Isis and the father of Horus."

"This is sounding a little familiar…" O'Neill interjected.

"Osiris resided in the underworld as the lord of the dead, as after being killed by Set, even though he was a god, he could no longer dwell in the land of the living."

"I hate to tell you this, Daniel, but Osiris is alive and well, though _he_ is now a _she_ , having taken a female host this time."

"Why does Osiris want to attack the Tau'ri, Jacob Carter?" Teal'c piped up.

Olivia looked between Daniel and Jacob as well as the burly man with the tattoo. Osiris was alive? What did he mean he'd taken a host? And what the hell was a Tau'ri? Olivia's head was spinning.

"Apparently you have something she wants. I wanted to come as quick as I could to warn you."

"Appreciate that, Jacob," O'Neill said.

Daniel and Olivia exchanged a glance, both having a pretty good idea what it was that she wanted.

Sam looked over at Daniel and Olivia. "The amulet."

They nodded in unison.

"What's so special about this amulet?" Hammond asked.

Olivia shrugged. "I'm not sure, sir, though I had an idea earlier that it may be some kind of key, simply for the fact there's no hole to string it onto a necklace, which was often the case with this style of piece. Sounds like she wants what's inside of whatever the key opens."

Hammond mulled this over. "Jacob, do you have any idea where this Osiris is now?"

"My sources tell me she's currently inhabiting a small planet called Kalnek."

"You have the address?"

"Yes, sir."

"OK, SG-1, I want you to check this out, providing the M.A.L.P doesn't send back any immediate signs of hostile action."

"Uh, sir? Request permission to bring Dr Clarke along," Daniel asked hopefully.

"Absolutely not! I'm not authorising a civilian to venture into a potentially hostile situation."

"With all due respect, sir," Daniel protested. "Olivia brought the amulet to _us._ If it weren't for her, we wouldn't have a clue right now as to what Osiris might want."

"Be that as it may, Dr Jackson, I cannot knowingly allow anyone that is not part of the SGC to be subjected to the kinds of conditions that you're potentially going to come up against."

"Pardon me for interrupting, General," Olivia interjected. "I certainly don't want to push my limits here, but if you're worried about me not being able to look after myself or slowing the team down, I can assure you, that won't be an issue."

Several sets of eyes turned to look at her, the most surprised being Daniel's.

"How so, Dr Clarke?"

"Well, I've had martial arts training & as well as some combat training. I've been in many training scenarios as well as several real-life scenarios."

Daniel's mouth dropped open.

O'Neill wasn't convinced. "And how is it that a female version of Daniel here has had so much martial arts _and_ _combat_ training? Not exactly a pre-req in your line of work?" he said, raising his eyebrows.

Olivia chewed her cheek and looked down at her shoes before looking back at O'Neill, eyes a little dark. "Let's just say I had an interesting life growing up on the streets of London…"

O'Neill folded his arms across his chest. "Ever used a gun?"

Olivia lifted her chin. "When I've had to." Truth was, she knew how to use a gun _very_ well, though it was not something she was prepared to go into at that point.

O'Neill walked over to one of the SFs and took his Beretta, removed the magazine and walked back over to Olivia, handing her the two pieces. "I want you to put that together and shoot as close as you can to those two red marks on the wall over there."

"Jack, what the hell are you doing?" Daniel asked.

"Colonel?" Hammond asked warningly.

"Sir, if Dr Clarke wants to accompany SG-1 into a potentially hostile situation, I want to know that I'm not going to be babysitting and that my back is covered," he said bluntly.

"Alright, Colonel," he agreed, before turning to Olivia. "Dr Clarke, if you can proficiently do what the Colonel asks, I'll authorise you to accompany them on this mission."

"Yes, sir," Olivia said, looking down at the pieces of the Beretta in her hands. It had been quite a while since she'd held a gun, though it was certainly not foreign to her. Olivia slid the magazine into the holster until it clicked, then cocked the gun, all the while keeping her eyes on O'Neill.

O'Neill's eyes gestured to the wall.

Olivia held the gun out in front of her, taking aim, as the group dispersed behind her. She fired the gun at the first target before adjusting and firing at the second, smiling inwardly as she realised she had hit both. Slowly, Olivia lowered the weapon to her side.

O'Neill strode over to the wall to inspect the two targets. Olivia gave him a wry smile as she released the magazine and handed the pieces back to him. "Was I close?"

"Close enough." He gave her a nod that said more than his words did.

Collecting himself, Hammond couldn't help but crack a smile. "OK, Dr Jackson, request to have Dr Clarke accompany SG-1, granted. Major Carter?"

Carter's head snapped up then, shaking her out of her daze. "Yes, sir?"

"Take Dr Clarke with you to get some more suitable clothing to wear. Alright, SG-1, gear up! Dismissed."

The team moved out, heading toward the locker room. Daniel grabbed Olivia's arm as she turned to leave. "Liv, that was…wow, I had no idea."

"There's a lot you don't know about me, Daniel," she said, a hint of sadness in her voice. She gave him a small smile before following Carter out.

"Yeah…" he muttered quietly to her retreating back.

Before long, SG-1, Jacob Carter & Olivia were ready to head off to Kalnek, Olivia having changed into the standard issue khaki green pants and cap, a black t-shirt and utility vest. The amulet was safely in the small backsack she carried.

O'Neill approached her, a solemn expression on his face as he handed her a Beretta. "You follow my orders, got it?" he said gruffly.

"Yes, sir." She'd made her point with O'Neill, and as it was a privilege for her to be going. She didn't want to step on any toes.

"Good. Alright, let's move out," he called to his team.

Olivia pulled Daniel aside as the others began to head up the ramp. "Look, I'm sorry for my snipe earlier. I guess a lot of stuff is coming up for me today that I'd buried a long time ago, some ghosts fresher than others," she said pointedly.

Daniel nodded. "It's OK."

Olivia looked up at the shimmering pool of light as the others slipped through it. A small wave of panic passed through her as she realised she had no idea what this was going to be like. She and Daniel followed the rest of SG-1 up the ramp and stood just inches from the event horizon. Olivia put her hand out slowly to touch it, not really feeling anything but coldness. It was an odd sensation as her brain was telling her it was water but her sense of touch was not in agreement. She felt Daniel take her other hand, squeezing it a little and turned to look at him.

"You ready?"

Olivia nodded.

"It's a piece of cake," he said brightly, before walking them through.


End file.
